At the table with Partida Bellvisos Red 2016
Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with rosemary, beef daube with black olives, grilled duck breast, wild boar civet, aged sheep's milk tomme.
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Let's talk little, let's talk wine
Partida Bellvisos Red 2016Sara I René Barbier
Partida Bellvisos comes from a tiny estate in the commune of Bellmunt del Priorat, in the heart of the prestigious Priorat appellation, in Catalonia. The vines are planted on steep Mediterranean slopes marked by llicorella soils, a decomposed slate characteristic of the region. This austere, dry and stony landscape imposes low yields and encourages slow ripening of the grapes. Farmed using organic and biodynamic practices, this plot precisely expresses the mineral depth, the freshness of relative altitude and the sunny character of the historic terroirs of the Priorat.
The grapes are harvested by hand, then fermented as whole bunches with their native yeasts. After pressing, the wine is aged in large-volume French oak barrels for about 18 months.
This wine reveals notes of black cherry, blackberry and ripe plum, followed by accents of violet, garrigue and liquorice. The ageing brings hints of cedar, cocoa and sweet spices, while the terroir signs off the whole with a touch of graphite and slate. The palate is broad and concentrated, with a deep texture, a fresh acidity that stretches the fruit, ripe and firm tannins, then a long, saline and spicy finish.
Where are we traveling?
PrioratSpain
It lies in the hinterland of Tarragona, in Catalonia, about a hundred kilometres south-west of Barcelona, nestled in a natural amphitheatre of steep hills and deep valleys. The vineyards unfold on dizzying slopes, sometimes steeper than 45 degrees, between 100 and 700 metres above sea level, in a spectacular landscape of narrow terraces clinging to the mountain. Its winemaking history dates back to the 12th century, when Carthusian monks founded the priory of Scala Dei and planted the first vines, giving the region its name. After centuries of prosperity, phylloxera and rural exodus emptied Priorat of its winegrowers, until a handful of visionary pioneers — René Barbier, Álvaro Palacios, Daphne Glorian and a few others — rediscovered in the 1990s the extraordinary potential of its unique llicorella soils, a shiny black slate-like schist that forces the roots to plunge deep and gives the wines an intense, dark minerality. The climate is continental Mediterranean, hot and dry, tempered by the Catalan mistral — the cerç — which sweeps through the vines, and by the night-time coolness brought by altitude, giving the grapes slow ripening and remarkable balance. Priorat is one of only two Spanish appellations to hold DOCa status, on a par with Rioja, and has made its name with monumental, deep reds from Garnacha and Cariñena, often from century-old vines with tiny yields, complemented by ambitious cuvées including Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, and a handful of rare, mineral whites from Garnacha Blanca and Macabeu, testament to an extreme terroir that produces some of the most intense and moving wines in the entire Mediterranean.
The little history of the country
Spain
The history of wine in Spain is so old that no one really knows who brought the first vines to the region. When the Phoenicians arrived some 3,000 years ago and founded the present-day cities of Cádiz and Jerez, viticulture was well established and Spanish wines were widely traded throughout the Mediterranean and North Africa. You could say that Spain is a wine miracle. After years on the sidelines of the fine wine world, it is now a major player. Investment and ambition in vineyards and wineries are resulting in increasingly rich, complex (often very high in alcohol) and spicy reds that are ever more popular with international consumers. Proud to have more land under vine than any other country, Spain is only just beginning to capitalise on this resource in a consistent way. Spain is an anarchic tangle of regions and sub-regions, just as its landscape is an anarchic tangle of incredibly rugged scenery. A glance at a map reveals the climatic diversity between Spain's many wine regions, from the green, rain-soaked vineyards of Galicia on the northern Atlantic coast to the sun-baked vineyards of the Mediterranean south-east. Spain's saving grace, as far as viticulture is concerned, is the average altitude of its vineyards, over 600 metres. Many Spanish vineyards therefore manage to produce grapes with good colour and acidity simply because night-time temperatures are relatively low and the grapes do not ripen until the end of a sufficiently long growing season. But there is real treasure to be found for those willing to dig, and now that a class of connoisseurs has developed in Spain, all kinds of ambitious investors have done their bit to change the image of Spanish wine. Today, a new generation of winemakers has quietly begun crafting spectacular wines and experimenting with grape varieties that would have been unthinkable until very recently. Wine remains an important commodity and an integral part of Spanish culture.
All about Partida Bellvisos Red 2016
At what temperature should Partida Bellvisos Red 2016 be served?
Between 15 and 17 °C.
How long can Partida Bellvisos Red 2016 be kept?
Ageing potential: 10 years or more. Store the bottle lying down, away from light, at around 12 °C.
Which grapes make up Partida Bellvisos Red 2016?
Grapes: 60% Grenache, 40% Carignan. Origin: Priorat, Spain. Alcohol: 14.5%.
What to serve with Partida Bellvisos Red 2016?
Partida Bellvisos Red 2016 pairs well with lamb, aperitifs, beef and hard cheese. Our dish ideas are in the food pairing box at the top of the page.